Heart of an Inmate

Chapter 6

The night was dark but Theresa didn't dare use a light. The moon was up and that was good enough. Crickets chirped and she took that as a sign the dead weren't close. She pulled out her compass and sighted the north and then she headed away from the clearing that Alexandria was surrounded by carefully stepping around traps and spears that had been set up to stop the dead.

She hated deceiving everyone but she had no choice. As she moved further into the woods her eyes adjusted to the meager light and her step became more sure. Along the bank of what used to be a wide stream, there was a kind of dugout. She had to get to it as fast as she could without leading any of the dead to it.

A branch snapped and she froze looking around, knife up and ready. After a moment she decided it might have been an animal. She turned to move on when she was suddenly tackled from behind. She couldn't cry out because the air was knocked out of her as she hit the ground rolling with the attacker. She landed on her back both her arms pinned. She thrashed and kicked trying to get free, expecting at any moment to get her throat torn out.

"Stop! Stop it! It's Negan!"

She froze and squinted up at him.

"How..how did you get out? What..."

He chuckled softly " Judith saw you slip out. Swear that kids a radar. She came to find out where you went and I convinced her to let me go out after you."

She sighed, her head falling back irritated.

"Now, be a good girl...where are you going?"

"I can't..." She squirmed under his weight " If people knew..."

He plucked her knife and spear out of her hands getting off her before grabbing her bag. She started to protest, then sat back resigned. He was stronger then she was. Fighting would be useless.

Negan frowned squinting at the contents of the bag. "Food, water, gauze? Pills...let's see antibiotics..ok your hiding someone who's sick. Who is it?"

She stared at him already thinking of ways to ditch him. He gave her an insolent smile.

"If I go back without you I promise the whole town will be searching for you. I don't particularly like Michonne but I respect that woman and I respect Alexandria and if you're planning some kind of coup I ain't keeping my trap shut."

Theresa sighed heavily then stood up " It's my brother. He's sick. I have him in a dugout but if he seems well enough I was going to move him into one of the empty houses that have already been searched until he's well enough for us to be on our way."

He eyed her suspiciously. "So what's so wrong you think the town won't help? What kind of sickness does he have?"

She started to back up then gasped as he grabbed her by the wrist twisting it behind her back and forcing her body up against the front of his. She gritted her teeth and glared at him a moment. Then she sagged, what difference did it make? He would alert the town no matter what.

"Look, I know you've been told not to trust me but my word is good as gold and I promise I won't do anything if all your doing is helping your brother. I give you my word."

He loosened his grip.

"He's been bitten."

Negan winced " Aw, aw baby come on you gotta know what you have to do. No antibiotic in the world is going to help him. The best you can do is put him out of his misery. You gotta know that."

She frantically shook her head " No! Please Negan...come look at him..I...It's been two days...please, please don't tell anyone!"

He frowned letting her go "Two days? He was bit two days ago? And he still hasn't become one of them?" He shook his head " No...no way that's not possible. You can't get your hopes up."

"He was bit two days ago I swear! He has a fever and the bite's infected but he hasn't become one of them. Please...just come see him."

Negan hesitated then sighed. He handed her the spear and bag but kept the knife. They were silent until they came to the bank of what was left of a creek.

"John? John, can you hear me?" She whispered her spear raised just in case he had taken a turn for the worst.

"Theresa?" The voice was weak and young. There was a click and a light came on from an old lighter. Negan frowned. The kid had to be about 23 or 24 not very old but damn he looked like Lucille had during her fight with cancer. The Chemotherapy had left her with a horrible dead look. That's what this kid looked like. In fact, if Negan had found him wandering around he would have put a bullet in him. The kid lit up a tiny fire that they used knowing any light was dangerous and could easily attract the wrong attention.

"Who's he?" The young man's eyes were wide and scared as he looked at Negan looming over the dugout's entrance.'

"He's a friend. Here let me see John..."

The kid held his arm up and she unwrapped the bandage while Negan craned forward to study the wound. It was a bite. But it was a rather neat bite and didn't look like the ragged bites the walkers usually left. It was inflamed and slightly swollen.

"You sure he got bit by a walker?" Negan asked as she cleaned the wound.

She nodded "We got ambushed by a small group. I don't know how they knew we weren't one of them; we had the dead's blood on us to hide our scent. They somehow knew. John said the one that bit him was holding a knife that he had to knock out of its hands. That's how he got bit."

Negan nodded thoughtfully " Yeah sometimes they grab something and just hang on to it."

John shook his head, his teeth chattering " It tried to stab me..."

"I'm sure it seemed that way..." Theresa's voice was soothing as she wrapped his arm back up " but you know they don't use weapons or think. They can't. Their dead."

"W..well this one d...did." John gasped. He took the pills offered and eagerly drank the water.

Theresa sighed " Do you feel up to moving to one of the houses? Its gonna be a walk through some woods though."

John nodded brushing his hair, which was the same color as Theresa's and he stood up proving to be tall and gangly as he climbed out of the dugout. He swayed and Negan caught him concerned.

"Maybe we should just take him to Alexandria..." Negan helped hold the young man up. His skin was hot and feverish.

Theresa shook her head." They'll shoot him. They won't believe me if I tell them he was bitten days ago."

Negan hesitated and sighed. He couldn't guarantee what would be done in the town. He was just the town boogeyman. No one was going to ask for his input.

" Alright, I'll help you get him to a house. Mind you if I'm found outside my cell I'll probably be shot myself."

Theresa nodded " Thank you. We'll hurry."

John shuddered then tried to stand up straighter.

Shit this kid probably going to die anyway. Negan thought to himself. What the hell am I doing out here?